Wow, Gov. Huckabee (R-AR); that's a bit harsh

Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) is positioning himself for a presidential run and is laying the groundwork to come off as a moderate Republican with independent ideas and true conservative values. He has recently claimed that he isn't an "angry" conservative who "scare(s) the living daylights" out of independents and moderate Democrats. Unless you follow his career closely, you may best rememebr Governor Huckabee for one of two thing; he's the politico who lost a bunch of weight, and he is also the guy who barely made it into office bc of the dramatic antics of his predecessor. From Wiki:

On 15 July 1996 he was sworn in as Governor of Arkansas to fill the vacancy created by Governor Jim Guy Tucker's resignation because of a felony conviction in the Whitewater scandal. This was a dramatic moment for Arkansas as Tucker at first resigned, and then rescinded his resignation as Huckabee was preparing to be sworn in. For a short while the event had the makings of a constitutional crisis not seen in Arkansas since the Brooks-Baxter War in the 19th century. Within a few hours Tucker reinstated his resignation, and Huckabee was sworn in.

More:

When elected governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee was significantly overweight. During 2003, physicians diagnosed the governor with adult-onset diabetes and informed him that he would not live more than 10 years if he did not lose weight. This diagnosis (as well as the subsequent death of former Governor Frank D. White, whose obesity led to a fatal heart attack) shocked the governor into reflecting on his own mortality, and his ability to serve as the governor of Arkansas. Huckabee subsequently lost over 110 pounds through a disciplined diet and exercise, according to a New York Times article at a pace so rapid that "it was as if he simply unzipped a fat suit and stepped out." The governor now wakes up at approximately 5 a.m. for a five-mile jog, and he and his wife routinely pack his own healthy meals for lunch and dinner in a portable cooler--even when attending political, ceremonial, or fund-raising events.

He has publicly recounted his previous burdens as an overweight man: the steps of the Arkansas capitol building from the entrance of the building up to the Governor's office were so long and steep that Huckabee would be out of breath and exhausted by the time he reached the top of the stairs; Huckabee secretly feared that he would be interviewed by media at the top of the steps, and that he would be unable to respond appropriately due to his overexertion and breathlessness.

Huckabee has trumpeted his weight loss and made health care reform a major component of his later tenure as governor, promoting both his own life story as well as his decision to dedicate 100 percent of tobacco settlement proceeds to health-related issues.

Huckabee ran in the 2006 New York City Marathon.

I give him a lot of credit for taking his life into his hands and losing the weight that was killing him without the use of expensive pills and dangerous surgery. You go, Governor Huckabee.

However, I think that Governor Huckabee's early alienation from his friends, colleagues, and party may not be good for his political future. It seems a bit too soon to be saying things such as:

"I think I would appeal to true conservatives for whom conservatism doesn't mean they're angry at everybody," Huckabee said in an interview with The Associated Press. "My brand of conservatism is not an angry, hostile brand."

and...

"I would be the kind of Republican who doesn't scare the living daylights out of people who are in the center or slightly to the left," he said.

and...
"When people say it's all going to be settled by March or April. Who says? George Allen was the hottest brand going until he made a little speech that got on YouTube. Now he's gone," Huckabee said.

OUCH. Looks like Governor Huckabee, whom still has not officially announced an 08 presidential run, is out there trying to appeal to moderate Americans from both sides of the aisle as opposed to hard party line towers. As someone who probably would not vote for Huckabee as he is a Republican, I don't know what to think of this behavior. Will it work? Will it destroy his career? Will his own party shun him and quietly force his exit from the public life?

Or will we see a whole slew of "I'm independent, I am NOT one of them" candidates step forward over the next few months?